Lawmaker slams NRC over access to information

March 21, 2005

Rep. Edward Markey on Monday slammed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for what he considers unacceptable access to public information, and he penned a letter to NRC Inspector General Hubert Bell calling for an investigation.

The NRC has displayed a "disturbing pattern of withholding important information from members of Congress and their staffs, non-industry stakeholders, the press, and members of the public rather than a genuine effort to be protective of national security," the Massachusetts Democrat said in a statement.

Specifically, Markey accused the commission of prohibiting access to certain information on its Web site that the NRC deems a national security risk but allowing "its proceedings to go on even though some non-industry stakeholders were unable to obtain access to documents needed to participate."

He said some information does need to be kept secret for security reasons but accused the NRC of "improperly restricting" information "that should be releasable."